Brown Off on Four-State Campaign Swing
Sen. Scott Brown is scheduled to spend much of the final three weeks of the August recess on the road raising money for Republican Congressional candidates in a four-state campaign swing that will take him from his home state of Massachusetts to Illinois, California and beyond.
Brown, among the most sought-after surrogates on the GOP fundraising circuit, is scheduled to headline an event for Karyn Polito, a Republican state Representative running for Massachusetts treasurer, as well as three Senate candidates, two House candidates in Ohio and one gubernatorial candidate. Brown spokeswoman Gail Gitcho emphasized that helping Massachusetts Republicans remains the freshman Senator’s top political priority.
She said Brown is focused on helping Republicans who are committed to reducing government spending and keeping taxes low. “Scott Brown might campaign more in the coming months,” Gitcho added. “But his job as Senator comes first.”
Those receiving help from Brown include Rep. Mark Kirk, who is running for President Barack Obama’s old Senate seat against Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D); businessman Dino Rossi, who is challenging Senate Democratic Conference Secretary Patty Murray (Wash.); and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, who is running against Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.).
While in California, Brown will also raise money for Republican gubernatorial nominee Meg Whitman, who is running against state Attorney General and former Gov. Jerry Brown (D). Meanwhile, Brown is also set to travel to Ohio to raise money for former Rep. Steve Chabot, who is challenging Rep. Steve Driehaus (D). Chabot was ousted from his 1st district seat by Driehaus in 2008.
Brown is also scheduled to raise money for state Sen. Steve Stivers, who is gunning for freshman Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (D-Ohio) in the 15th district. Gitcho said Brown’s appearances are likely to be limited to fundraisers and possibly appearances on local media.
Since his January election to the seat once held by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D), Brown has been somewhat of a celebrity in Republican circles. He is running for re-election in 2012, and part of his fundraising strategy involves helping his fellow Republicans around the country now, so that he will have a network of donors to draw on as his own race nears.
Brown in recent weeks has headlined various events, including giving a keynote speech at the Nebraska Republican Party convention and raising money for Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.). Previously, he campaigned for Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), state Rep. John Loughlin, who is running for the seat being vacated by Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), and Rep. Charles Djou (Hawaii).
Brown also campaigned for Tim Burns, who lost the special election race for Pennsylvania’s 12th district.
But Brown has made clear that Republicans running this year in Massachusetts have the first call on his services, including gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker and a few of his friends from the Legislature running for higher office, among them state Rep. Jeff Perry, who is seeking the open 10th district House seat.
Brown also is backing four candidates running for the Legislature.